A Downwards Spiral
by Karin Serendipity
Summary: Warning Character Death. Karin was always prone to falling.


**A Downwards Spiral**

_Karin had been falling her whole life. Falling for power, (Orochimaru saved her from her burnt village, he gave her a life.) falling for false hope, (Maybe one day she'd be free from Orochimaru's clutches, maybe one day she'd be Orochimaru's right hand girl.) falling in love, (Sasuke was a bad boy, didn't all the girls like that?) falling for lies, (Sasuke was just using her, always using everyone.) falling out of love, (She didn't like Sasuke too much after he stabbed her.) falling into the enemies clutches, (Sakura healed her, but still, Karin wasn't on Sakura's side and once she would make it to the Leaf, she'd be questioned.) falling into more deep false hope, (Not everyone is going accept someone that was out and about with Sasuke.) falling for deceptions in someone's mood or tone, (She had always been so accepting.) falling for someone's smile, (Did I have that affect on her? She said I did.) falling back into love, (I guess that I just got lucky.) falling so hard for a simple boy, (I never thought it'd happen.) falling into a motherly state, (Children, they were always her first priority, even if we didn't have any.) falling by the enemy's sword. (Who knew that her life would end just as it started?)_

_Karin would stop falling for once in her life, but she had always been prone to falling._

xXx

"Karin? I'd like to send you on a mission." Tsunade said as I entered her office. I looked around, there was less files on her desk, Shizune must've been busy. Tsunade's golden hazel eyes landed on the file in my hand. I smiled towards her, crossing the room, taking careful, slow steps, to her desk. She outstretched her hand, as I handed her the file. She placed it on the edge of her desk, folding her hands together, not bothering to look at it. "The Mizukage is coming to the Leaf, and she is low on guards. She would love it if you would come to escort her along with Choujuro and Ao." Tsunade told me. I nodded, pushing my glasses up, then turning around to leave. "I'd like you to set out tomorrow, I'll get someone else to take over your class while you are out." I nodded, before leaving her office. I was sad that I would have to leave my students, but I knew that if the Mizukage needed my help, then I would give it. With my slow careful steps, I managed to make it to my house. I closed the door and leaned on it, taking soft, deep breathes. I closed my eyes, I always did this before a mission, I couldn't handle leaving the place where I felt safe. Warm lips pressed against mine, and I kissed back, wrapping my arms around his neck. I let him stumbled backwards, his hand at the small of my back. I couldn't leave him, it tore me apart, he was something I couldn't leave.

He pulled away and chuckled, "You weren't gone but a couple minutes, I like your greeting though." He told me, his hand not straying from my back, his other hand stroked my cheek and moved my hair behind my ear. I blushed, romance had always been my weakness. "Karin." He sighed, my name was something so sweet, like an actual mist of perfume. It only made me want to stay so much more. I grabbed his shirt, balling the fabric up in my hand. Our lips were so close, I just leaned up slightly, pressing my lips to his again. I loved him so much, his black hair was growing shaggy, he'd need a haircut by the time I came back. His mouth opened, to allow me entrance, I took his offer. I had been his first kiss, and his only kiss. His lips were mine, mine were his. They molded together perfectly, as if meant to be. Our tongues mingled together for a short while before I moved away for a second, "I love you, Karin."

My heart was beating erratically, he was the only person that could make my heart beat like this. My cheeks were tinted a deep red, and I closed my red eyes, placing my head on his chest, his heart was beating just as fast as mine. His breathing was uneven from the kiss. "I love you too, Lee." My arms fell to his chest, and his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. This is where I felt safe, this is where I always wanted to be. He knew that I had had taken on a mission, I was always extremely clingy once I had to leave him. My kisses were always more frantic, my eyes always plead with his, and my heart always beat so hard it felt like it may explode. We stayed like that for a minute, just absorbing each other's presence. Then I walked away from him, into the kitchen, I fingered my ring while I looked through the fridge. "I wish I didn't have to go on this mission. I can't leave you and my children." I told him. He smiled at me, looking at the floor. My mind went back to when I was sixteen, wow, he had grown. He walked over to the counter, placing his hands on it, he watched me closely. "You have food, and water." I commented, looking around the cabinets. "You have air, and that's all you really need to live." I smiled softly at him, going to the other side of the counter, placing my hands on top of his.

"I don't have you. But you need this mission. It'll be good for you." Lee smiled at me, taking my hands in his and holding them. It felt good to have him with me, "Anyway, I'll be setting out two hours after you to help." He laced our fingers together. A warm sensation spread out over me. He made me feel surreal. I loved him so much, even a simple mission would have me in this same mood, I was clingy, I would admit that, but I was only clingy when it came to him. He planted tiny, butterfly kisses on my hands. Every kiss was sweeter than the last. I moved around the counter, still holding one of his hands.

I smiled at him, grasping the hand of his I held tightly, "You'll be protecting me." I squeezed his hand. He replied with a light squeeze, causing me to look up at him, his eyes meeting mine. I blushed, moments like these were the best between us. A look or a nod, or a simple gesture could explain everything we were feeling at that moment. Right now, our eyes were electric, we were in love. It was hard to look away, I didn't know if I could leave him, even if he was going to be right behind me. I looked over towards the wall clock, it's pendulum swung in a rhythm that I had never understood, for I always thought I had plenty of time. Little did I know that my time was now on a countdown, spiraling towards 00:00:00. The wall clock told me it was time to set out, time to get my things together and leave Lee. For now.

With a light tug, I pulled away from Lee, and with a graceful step, I made my way into the bedroom. I pulled out my gear from underneath the bed, fixing it upon myself. I looked at myself in the mirror, right before I threw my hair into a sloppy ponytail. I forced a small, reassuring smile to my reflection, before I walked back into the living room. I pressed a hand to Lee's chest, lightly putting pressure to my fingertips. "I love you." I told him, taking my hand back, lifting it to my hair, so I could brush it out of my face. He leaned down, placing a hand on my cheek.

"I love you too, looks like I'm not the only one that needs a haircut." He chuckled in a low voice. I smiled at him, blushing a very faint pink. I closed the small gap between us, pressing my lips to his, before I turned on my heel, walking out of the house.

I felt the want (need) to run back to Lee, I wasn't ready to go on a mission, I wasn't ready to travel to the Land of Waves, why was I that foolish? I knew I should've told Tsunade that I couldn't go, that it wasn't a good idea. But, here I was, walking towards (my death) the Land of Waves. It was a simple path, I was not to leave it. If I would leave it, I would surely get lost. All around me, was just an expanse of soft green grass, with trees outlying on the edges. Each step was forced, each step made me want to turn back on my heel and scamper back to the Leaf Village.

I took my time when it came to breathing, I had a tendency to hyperventilate when worried, or when troubled, or just anytime. My face dropped, my eyes landing on the floor. "Just, stay calm Karin, it's been..." I whispered to myself. I thought carefully. "...a half hour? An hour?" Footsteps alerted me, I had been too caught up in thinking about the time, now I turned to the left, fully aware of the person approaching. Their chakra was familiar, for a split second I was going to go to the person, but I saw he was fully armed. White hair hung in his face, his light purple (almost lavender color) eyes watched me, they were clouded. He wasn't in his right mind, I could tell that right away. His sword was in his hands, ready to swing.

"A pretty girl such as yourself shouldn't be out here alone." His grin was shark-like. It sent chills up my spine, he was possessed, the look in his eyes confirmed it. A monster was consuming him, it was a monster that used to consume him when I was on Team Hebi with him. The monster would possess him, he would do unthinkable things-like attack his old teammate. He almost seemed like a rapist, the smile, the way the hands were clenched, the way his purple eyes gazed at me-at my body. My knees began to lock, so I stood a bit straighter, my hands were now fists, my eyes sharpened. I knew that I'd have to fight.

xXx

A kunai was thrown, from whichever side, blood was shed. The crimson rain fell towards the path, hitting it, staining it red. Red eyes meet purple eyes, clouded, dangerous purple eyes that don't see her too clearly, that can't tell her as a friend or an enemy-purple eyes that the monster had overtaken. The sword cuts through the air, only catching pieces of her red hair, she had taken to running back further, out of his distance. But with the monster controlling him, he could reach her in no time. Words are exchanged, stuttered-shattered-broken. Then the fury, he doesn't understand, she doesn't want him to attack her. He comes without warning, she retreats just as quickly.

She couldn't continue to run, she was prone to falling, not running. So, as if to prove that point-she stumbles-and falls to the grass. The green smeared into her skin, turning her knees into the ugly green color of the grass and the dirt underneath it. She winced, it was always painful to fall. Red hair blocked her face from view, she knew he was approaching her though, so she stood up fast, stumbling again, but she managed to regain her footing. He smirked, readying his sword, her eyes only widened in horror, she didn't realize how close she was to him. She was in his range and more-he would cut her in half. So, she turned to run again, but instead of running, a sharp pain brought her back to the grass, the sword flying above her, cutting off more of that red hair. She bit her bottom lip hard, as she hit the ground. Her ankle had always had problems, ever since she had injured it from the Chunin Exams, now, it was useless. She willed it to move, although it was limp, she took in a sharp breath, and looked up, he was a good distance away from her. She could wrap her ankle and limp back to the trees. He wasn't himself, so he couldn't climb the trees and catch her.

He smirked at her, the glint in his eyes was dimming, but still strong enough to detect. His muscles were almost pulsing from the strength of the monster-the sword was raised high. His thoughts were jumbled pieces of nothingness. Not even an insane person could tell his thoughts apart, they fit together-overlapped. Red eyes connected with purple again as her hands reached and grabbed onto bandages that were located in her bag. She pulled them out, her gaze not leaving his. Unraveling the delicate wrappings was easy enough, but she had to look away from him to begin wrapping her ankle. It was easy, she was a pro, she wrapped it around her ankle twice, then removed her shoe, and began to wrap it around her foot. He took that as an advantage and his feet moved fast-with purpose. In her mind, she noticed him getting closer, she willed her hands to move faster than his feet. He swung his sword, and in that same swift movement, she did a handstand and pushed into a back flip.

Everything slowed in that second, she wore a mask of surprise-she was dodging his attack. He wore a smirk-he didn't think she had moved back far enough. He was right, as her feet hit the ground his sword slid smoothly across her stomach.

Crimson stained her lower body, it poured out endlessly from her cut skin.

Panicked black eyes met terrified red ones.

A once pale hand is bloodstained as it comes to her mouth.

She wants to scream-until no sound comes out.

xXx

"Lee." It was an almost audible whisper from my lips. I was growing dizzy-too much blood was escaping my body and hitting the grass below me. Lee's eyes were full of so much emotion, all overlying the others. Hatred and love mixed in a disastrous way. I fell to my knees, no longer able to stand. My hands were covered with blood-the floor, my legs, everything had my blood on it.

How much blood could you lose before you were dead?

The question rang in my head-it worried me, caused me to shake. All I could do was breathe. Lee had taken to fighting against Suigetsu. My eyes closed, so I could no longer witness the fight. Although once I heard the yell from Lee, I knew that Suigetsu was dead, "Karin! Karin! You are alive right?" The voice came from above me. I managed to open my eyes. They looked up into Lee's-and I managed to smile for him.

xXx

Lying in the soft green grass, she was dying.

Lying in his arms, she was saying goodbye.

The words of lovers are exchanged.

Red eyes are dimming, black eyes are widening at the truth of the moment.

She begins to slip under, unable to will her eyes to open-even for him.

He begins to sob-to cry-tears that are unmistakably meant for the woman he loves.

Her mind drifts on a single thought, the reason she didn't think she should've accepted this mission.

Their goodbye is a bloodstain kiss, and her last thought.

"L-Lee, I-I was carrying a child."

Black eyes widen in horror, joy underlying them, but that's replaced quickly-since she's almost out of his grip.

Then her hands turn limp-followed by her body, which feels like dead weight, no pun intended.

Then her ruby red eyes-as bright as her blood-close, his eyes follow.

Tears stream angrily down his cheeks, hands stained with her blood wipe at the tears furiously.

Then the scream breaks free-it is full of tears-emotion.

He screams until he can no longer hear himself scream.

He only stops when a light hand touches his shoulder.

But his tears continue.

_Karin had stopped falling. _


End file.
